On-demand water heaters are the next hot home appliance.
Popular in Europe for years, tankless water heaters are becoming steadily more prevalent in North American homes and commercial spaces, as is the demand for installation and maintenance. To meet this growing industry need, Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) will soon be offering technician training for the energy and space-saving appliances, thanks to a generous donation from a global leader in gas appliance manufacturing Rinnai American Corporation.
“This is definitely the newer technology side of the trade,” said plumbing/piping instructor Sven Rohde. “At KPU, we pride ourselves on being able to provide our students with industry-grade cutting-edge technology, and Rinnai is one of the most respected brands in our field. This is really exciting for our students.”
Rinnai supplied KPU’s Faculty of Trades and Technology with five tankless water heaters, also known as hot water on-demand, valued at over $15,000. The corporation also provided instructor training at its headquarters in Georgia for both Rohde and appliance service technology instructor Tom Westgate.
According to Westgate, the industry partnership is mutually beneficial, as Rinnai is looking for technicians trained to service their water heaters, “We’re all pretty happy to collaborate because it means more well-trained men and women in the field properly servicing these technically advanced products.”
The on-demand water heaters are already installed in the plumbing/piping lab at the KPU Tech campus in Cloverdale and will be part of the plumbing/piping and appliance service technology programs for fall 2018.
“The inter-program collaboration between KPU’s plumbing and appliance repair augments both programs’ training with innovative technology,” said Dean of the Faculty of Trades and Technology Dr. David Florkowski. “Plumbers and gasfitters will have the expertise to install the heating equipment while appliance service technicians will know how to repair and trouble shoot an already installed system. Rinnai’s donation moves KPU Tech in a new and innovative direction with regards to the technology being taught and the collaborative manner in which instruction is planned.”
In addition, Rinnai will also provide local support and trainers to assist with product knowledge and demonstrations, as well as ongoing online training.
“At Rinnai, we are fiercely committed to delivering nothing less than our absolute best,” said Dan Noel, Rinnai Western Canada regional sales manager. “Our passion for constant improvement drives us to create incredibly innovative water heating and home heating gas appliances for both residential and commercial applications. This is why Rinnai is extremely excited to be able to contribute to growing the skill level of KPU students interested in the quickly evolving technologies in the plumbing and heating markets.”
For more information on KPU’s plumbing/piping and appliance service technology programs, visit kpu.ca/trades/.
Photos of plumbing students and Rohde with the new on-demand water heaters installed in KPU's plumbing/piping lab are available for download on Flickr.
Story by Tatiana Tomljanovic
About Rinnai regional distributor Westpoint Sales Inc.
Westpoint Sales Inc. is a professional plumbing manufacturers’ representative built upon the pillars of Service, Innovation, Knowledge, Trust, and Accessibility. They are leaders in their field and take pride in the depth and breadth of product lines they represent, which includes Rinnai residential and commercial products. Westpoint has evolved from a four-person office to a 15-member team of professionals, serving contractors, designers, architects and engineers in a variety of locations throughout British Columbia. Learn more about Westpoint Sales and Rinnai products in B.C. at westpoint.ca/.